Editorial Review: Based on a wildly popular Japanese anime series, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is a fighting game that features 18 weird characters, most of which have a ghostlike spirit friend called a Stand that can be used to perform special moves.

As in other Capcom games, the characters in JoJo's can pull off super combos that are easy to execute, devastating, and often hilarious. In one case, a belly dancer can summon a tidal wave of '57 Chevy cars to knock her foe on his back. Together with their Stands, characters can even double-team opponents, racking up lots of hits with relatively little effort.

Each fighter has his or her own back-story culled from the anime series, and a super story mode forces players to switch characters as the plot unfolds. While JoJo's might not have the depth of other Capcom games, it certainly makes up for its simplicity with an unmistakably odd and fast-paced style. --Robb Guido

Pros:
Colorful anime graphics
Addictive gameplay

Cons:
Simplistic controls might deter veterans

Product Description: Based on the popular comic-book series, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure blasts its way onto home game consoles with fast fighting action. This high-speed arcade fantasy fighter pits characters against one another and introduces the new stand attack, which unleashes each character's materialized mental energy upon the opponent to deliver devastating results. Animation in classic Japanese comic-book style and Capcom's signature gameplay combine in a game worthy of a place in any fighting-game fan's library.

GameSpot Review: Based on a famous manga (Japanese for "comic book"), Jojo's Bizarre Adventure follows the story of Jotaro and his friends as they travel throughout the Far East in search of his mother's captor, Dio. Filling more than 40 volumes, the story of Jotaro Josuke's family (hence the name "Jojo") spans multiple generations and is one of Japan's longest-running series ever. The linchpin of the storyline is the relationship between the main characters and their "stands." Stands are psychic partners that enhance the characters' own physical powers and are something akin to guardian angels. Fittingly, it was Capcom and its CPS-III technology that came along and made a 2D fighting game that was not only able to capture the detailed artwork and character designs, but was able to handle the extra animation involved with each character's stand. Unlike a game such as Street Fighter III, which used all of the CPS-III board's extra horsepower to render the massive amounts of animation in that game, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure used it to animate four characters onscreen at once (two characters with one stand each).

When it was announced that this game would be coming home to the PlayStation, which boasts all of 2 megs of onboard RAM, many were expecting a very poor port, with large sacrifices in character animation and speed. It happened with X-Men vs. Street Fighter, and despite the decent port of Street Fighter Alpha 3, things looked grim for the PlayStation version of Jojo.

Amazingly Jojo's Bizarre Adventure comes home in extremely playable form. Better even than the PlayStation port of SF Alpha 3, Bizarre Adventure retains the arcade version's speed and playability, if not all the animation. Though some frames of animation appear to have been left on the cutting-room floor, if you haven't played the arcade version, you will never notice. Bizarre Adventure plays fast and controls great, even with the PlayStation's controller. One reason for this is the simplified button layout, which maps the weak, medium, and strong attacks to the square, triangle, and circle button, while X activates your stand. Your stand is used to block attacks, offer additional attacks, and absorb damage. However, due to the symbiotic nature of your character and his or her stand, should your stand take damage, you too will share in the punishment. While your stand automatically appears for certain attacks, you can summon it "permanently" by pressing the stand button. If your stand takes damage while exposed, your stand meter drops incrementally and when depleted, you suffer a "stand-break." If the fight ever gets to this point, your character is then stunned and left momentarily vulnerable to attack.

The fighting in Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is a wild combination of typical Capcom "versus" games, like Marvel vs. Capcom, combined with screen-filling over-the-top super-attacks like those found in Arc System's Guilty Gear. In addition to the normal arcade modes, versus modes, and training modes, there is a story mode that offers various minigames borrowed from the comic book itself. There's a card game that pits you against a character from the book, whose stand smashes its opponents into poker chips. Another game is a side-scrolling shooter that is actually quite difficult and is significantly more than just a simple afterthought. Although most American gamers won't be able to appreciate the subtleties of the storyline as much as their Japanese counterparts might, there is certainly enough dialogue included in the intermittent cutscenes to give you an idea of what's going on. Even if you don't have any knowledge of the original comics, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure still offers a more intriguing back story than the vague Street Fighter plot ever did. So if you're into your 2D fighters, but have begun to grow tired of the countless Street Fighter spin-offs and bad home conversions, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure offers fine-tuned Capcom quality with a unique storyline and great control. That alone is worth its weight in gold. This one belongs in every fighting-game fan's library. --James Mielke

Customer Reviews:well.., December 24, 2001
Reviewer: MIKE M COHEN from CANOGA PARK, CA USA
this game is fun but it might not win the fighting race there's tekken,street fighter,marvel vs. capcom, and mortal kombat but it's made from a little spice called capcom. This spice made rez evil,street fighter,and mega man wich are all great games who knows it might get a 2nd game.

Guilty Gears Has Met Its Match, November 21, 2001
Reviewer: Sixto Limiac from Behind the wall of human aggrogance
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is sincerely an astonishing mark on how the PlayStation can engineer the art of 2D. The PlayStation is known to be among the weakest machines for managing 2D mêlées, yet Capcom has triumphed to deliver a surprising Fighter. When Marvel Vs. Capcom came out on the PSX, its speed was just a slump of languid gobbledygook. Amending the original pace, and filled with outrageous and succinct Gameplay, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure winches to a winning presentation.

Although the PlayStation port doesn't bundle as much animation as the arcade version, its own electrical speed is well-above the standard. Full of dashing fury, each fighter has their special and signature moves. Formulated in the ironclad core of 2D engagement, the newest addition to the fighting field is an element called Stance. A Stance is a character's transformation into a more superior warrior. Elevated with raw strength, enhanced blocking, and the unlocking of new combat moves, the activation of a Stance will quickly enfeeble challengers. Shown as a meter, if an opponent should successfully pounce the player while on Stance, a fraction of the bar will disband. When empty, the player will be forced into a neutralized state, allowing the challenger to freely lash a ferocity of attacks. Likewise, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure presents modes ranging from Arcade, Versus, and an in-depth Story Mode. Jam-packed with one-on-one brawling, the breakneck action revolves in an intensity similar to the arcade.

The graphical paste for the PlayStation mirrors an animated fighting scene. Several moves spectacularly blast firepower on the screen. The coloring-scheme goes extremely well with the comely characters. Guilty Gears, a thundering fast and profound fighter, has met its match. However, on the musical plane, the game abates with the existence of shoddy retro Pop. The music, ensuing as a mental distraction, should've been a slashing of brutal guitars and deafening drumming. Enjoying the game, my CD player's volume maximized with real, slamming music.

To its closing stages, fighter fans will genuinely discover that Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is an irresistible escape to hand-to-hand mayhem. Thinning out the classical fighting mechanics, the Replay Value has hard-wearing measurements. However, like all Fighters, once a more highly developed one disburses, the hankering for the previously played game is left with a frosting of dust. After purchasing Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 for the Dreamcast, I haven't buried myself into Jojo's Bizarre Adventure for quite some time, but will hold it in high esteem.

A great Japanese anime game, June 14, 2001
Reviewer: Andrew Neamlaor from Los Angeles,Ca USA
This is a great game from Capcom since the other games start to tone down. I myself am a great Capcom Fan who know Characters' data. The animation is sharp with great playing factors.A friend asked me if any characters from this game would be in Marvel V.S Capcom 3 if there is one at Japan. I told him the movements would change the game because it is only 3 attacks from weak to strong attack. And it might be imposible to try to have a Stand button Pros:Great game play and easy secrets

Cons:The stands should be better in color

Excellent PSX port!, May 11, 2000
Reviewer: A gamer from the center of the earth
Unlike a lot of other recent capcom games for the PSX, fans will be glad to find that Jojo's suffers very little despite the limitations of this aging system. A particularly amazing feat given that Jojo's runs on the same board that Street Fighter 3 does, and that the game often has up to four people on the screen at once! Although Jojo's is not without its flaws, this is a very playable and highly enjoyable version. After hours of game play, the biggest drawback I've noted is the pan-in/pan-out funtion that the arcade version and dreamcast have (allowing character to space themselves out a lot farther). Moves which formerly had limited range now go the entire length of the screen, and certain characters (notably Mahrahia) become increasingly annoying without the ability to move out of the range of their moves. On the whole though, I am amazed at how much they were able to retain for the psx release. As to the game itself, it is hard to say if Jojo's is for everyone. The plot is strange to say the least (an aspect that might have been aided if I had read the manga), and to make this matter worse, the psx version has omitted the original story mode, turning it into a purely arcade fighting mode. This means you will be missing the actual story for each character, however the PSX version has a 'super story mode', which will fill in enough of the gaps for you to figure out what is going on. Completion of the super story mode is also something you'll want to do (even though it is often less than rewarding) so you can unlock the hidden characters. As to the game itself, Jojo's is in a lot of ways the perfect fighter for the PSX because it uses a four button system instead of the standard six. Although this might make Jojo's seemed a bit dumbed down, most of the characters weild a 'stand'--a second character which can fight for the first character (? ) The stand is a sort of psychic projection, and actually adds a significant new dimension to game play. Having your stand on gives you access to other moves, prevents you from taking block damage, activates chain combos and generally gives you more range. The disadvantages however keep the stand in balence. Stands can be broken making you vulnerable immediately following a stand crush. Stands are often larger then you so can be hit more readily (this is really notable with Iggy), and while they can often seperate from your main character, this sometimes leaves you open to attacks if your opponent gets past your stand. The result of this new system is a far more in depth game play, where characters are in general closer to Gen then Ryu. You will constantly need to be deciding whether to attack with or without your stand (sometimes super moves without stands are stronger). Another aspect is dodging--a manuver you can't do if you have your stand on. Although Jojo's may seem a bit cumbersome at first, repeated plays will reveal that this is a very involved and involving game that will earn dozens of hours of game play. The biggest fault I can find is the lack of a world tour or survival mode as the arcade mode is easily beat. Where Jojo's shines is in versus, so if you have a street fighter friend, you will definitely want to be picking up this title soon.